[STEAM] Fields of Mistria is an immersive RPG disguised as a farming sim, and it's the best $14 I've spent all year

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(Image credit: ConcernedApe)

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Previously, I've bounced off slice-of-life games like Tales of the Shire and Palia because there wasn't enough to do. That's ironic, given the genre is largely about intentionally slowing down and living life day-by-day, but without enough of a motivator – a museum to stock, or getting to know a villager I'm smitten with – I can't buy in. The reverse is also true. With Stardew Valley, for example, restoring the community center becomes such a singular goal that it takes over my playthrough. It's a productivity trap: there needs to be a strong foundation for me to want to build tens of hours upon, but too much busywork risks upending the casual fantasy I come to

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for.

In Fields of Mistria, everything is worthwhile. Smithing, carpentry, and cooking can all be as profitable as farming, and while that means money is easily made, there's no shortage of places to spend it. Some expenses are practical (stone and wood are crucial for Mistria's various building projects, but pricey) and if you don't like smithing, you can buy improved tools from the local blacksmith instead of making your own.

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(Image credit: NPC Studio) Slowly playing Fields of Mistria makes for a cozier world, but it also creates a better game. I've just reached my second spring, and because I didn't prioritize hoovering up all season-specific museum donations the year prior, there's plenty left to do. Besides the museum, there are still unfulfilled requests from last spring to complete, competitions to win, and a certain bathhouse owner to woo.

I'll get to it all eventually. But by approaching Fields of Mistria as I would the

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– playing not to complete them, but to

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– I'm settling in for the long haul, and recommend you do the same. If you're jumping into Mistria for the first time now that it's fully released, be sure to take things easy. Walk for the sake of it. Pop by the inn on Friday night. So much work has gone into making Fields of Mistria feel like a living, breathing world, and it would be a shame to let it pass you by.

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, and you'll see at least one familiar face on there

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